Fastener attaching tool



oCt- 14, 1.969 HANDWERGER FASTENER ATTACHING TOOL Filed June 13, 1967 INVENTOR.

BYaz/s .rea/Weyer.

f Etty- United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 227-147 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand implement for securing snap fasteners and the like to a sheet of material, comprised of a pair of hingedly connected fastener component carrying plates and wherein one of the plates has a removable and reversible wing containing fastener component seats.

The invention relates to improvements in a hand operated tool for attaching snap fastener components, and the like, of different sizes and shapes to sheet material. The tool is characterized by having a pair of detachably hingedly connected plates and an auxiliary plate, each formed with one or more recessed seats into which selected components of a snap fastener are initially seated. These recessed seats are sized to accommodate related sized fastener components and to frictionally retain them prior to their being attached to a sheet of material.

To attach such components together and onto a sheet of material, said material is disposed between the plates which are then closed over the material and the uppermost plate is struck sharply to cause the related components to pierce the material and engage one in the other securely. The utilization of the auxiliary plate, which is reversible and interchangeable with another similar plate, increases the capacity of the tool for receiving and attaching a greater number of components of different sizes and shapes.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a tool of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide a fastener attaching tool with a multiplicity of seats suitable for receiving fastener components of different sizes and shapes.

Another object is to provide a tool comprised of hingedly connected elements with an auxiliary element, all containing seats for receiving snap fastener components.

Another object is to provide a tool of the character referred to with a removable auxiliary fastener component attaching element.

Another object is to provide a tool of the character referred to which is compact, inexpensive to manufacture, readily adapted for use with fastener components of various sizes and shapes, easy and simple to use and very efficient in use.

The structure by means of which the above noted objects and advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective View of the fastening tool.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational View thereof.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of FIG. 1, showing a piece of material and fastener components therein.

FIG, 4 is a plan view of the tool showing it opened dat.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the anvil plate.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the hammer plate.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the wing plate.

3,472,442 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 ICC Referring to the exemplary disclosure of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, the fastener component attaching tool is comprised generally of a base or anvil plate 11, a top or hammer plate 12 and an auxiliary plate or wing 13, pivotally and removably carried by the hammer plate. Each of these plates has sockets or recessed seats adapted to have component fastener parts seated therein prior to attachment of the parts to a sheet material 14 shown in FIG. 3. The fastener components are well known and they comprise, sockets, studs, ring fasteners, caps, etc., of various sizes and shapes.

Specifically, the base or anvil plate 11 has on its top surface a pair of recessed seats 15, 16. For example, the seat 15 is intended to receive seated therein a socket component, whereas the seat 16 is intended to receive a stud component, such as is shown at 17 in FIG. 3. The seat 18 in the bottom face of the hammer plate 12 is formed to receive a pronged ring 19 (FIG. 3) to be attached to the stud component 17. 'Ihe wing plate 13 may be formed on both faces with recessed seats to receive pronged caps for attachment to the component seated in the base seat 15. For example, one face may include two recessed seats 21, 22 (FIG. 7) of different diameters and depth whereas, the other face may have recesses or seats 23, 24 (FIG. 4) one of which may be other than circular. It is to be understood at this time that although specific forms of recessed seats have been referred to hereinabove, other sizes, shapes and combination may be used to accommodate fastener components of other sizes and shapes.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the base or anvil plate 11 is substantially rectangular in outline and it has extending from one longitudinal edge a web 25 which terminates at its free end in a split bearing 26.

The top or hammer plate 12, best shown in FIG. 6, comprises a substantially rectangular plate 27 having a pair of spaced apart thin webs 28 extending from one longitudinal edge thereof. These webs each terminate at their free ends in a boss 29 which have an axial pin 31 extending between them. The spacing of webs 28 is such that when the base plate 11 is assembled with the top plate 12, the web 25 thereof nests between webs 28 and the split bearing 26 is snapped over pin 31 so as to provide a detachable hinge connection between the parts.

The hammer plate 12 has part of its body cut away to dene an opening 32 having axially aligned stud pins 33 projecting inwardly from opposite sides thereof. This opening is of a size to receive therein the wing plate 13 which, as best shown in FIG. 7, is comprised of a rectangular body having stud pin receiving openings 34 on its side edges spaced midway its length so as to permit the Wing plate to be reversed end for end and top for bottom when required to locate a selected one of its seats 21, 22, 23 or 24 in operating register with the recessed seat 15 in the anvil plate 11. Top for bottom reversal of the wing plate 13 is effected by springing the end portion 12a of the hammer plate outwardly to disengage pins 33 whereupon the wing plate may be reversed or snapped out and a wing plate containing recessed seats of other sizes and shapes can be inserted.

When the two plates 11 and 12 are hingedly connected fastener components can be allixed to the marginal edge of a sheet of material, as shown in FIG. 3. However, should it be desired to aliix a fastener assembly some distance inwardly from a marginal edge, the hinge structure 26-31 is disengaged and the parts manually located one over the other to effect the fastening of a fastener to the material. Fastening of the components is effected in either instance by strikng the hammer plate 12 and/or the wing plate 13, a sharp blow with an instrument, such as a hammer, so as to force the companion components together and clinch their securing means, such as the prongs on the ring prong 19 through the material and within the stud component 17 illustrated. Preferably, but not necessarily, the tool is made entirely of suitable plastic material having the requisite toughness to withstand periodic applied blows and sufficient resiliency to enable the webs 25, 28 to flex under tension. It might be noted further, that when the tool is closed, as just after applying a fastener assembly to the material, it may be opened easily and quickly by grasping the projecting end of the wing plate 13 and lifting upwardly so as to cause its opposite end to bear on the material and act as a cam lever.

Although I have described a prefered embodiment of my invention, in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as details of the structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

I claim:

1. A tool for securing fastener components to sheet material comprising, in combination, an anvil plate, at least one seat in said plate to receive a fastener component, a hammer plate, means hingedly connecting said plates along complemental edges, a wing plate carried by the hammer plate, and fastener component seats in the hammer plate and wing plate.

2. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the seats are provided on opposed faces of the anvil and hammer plates and on both faces of the wing plate.

3. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the hinge con- 4 nection between the anvil and hammer plates is detachable.

4. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the wing plate is hingedly mounted in the hammer plate.

5. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the wing plate is removable from the hammer plate.

6. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the hammer plate has a recess in which the wing plate is mounted.

7. The tool recited in claim 6, in which the opposed walls of the recess carry journal pins and the Wing plate has sockets in opposed side edges to receive said pins.

Y8. 'Ihe tool recited in claim 1, in which the wing plate is detachably connected hingedly to the hammer plate and has fastener component seats on each face thereof.

9. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the hammer plate carries a journal pin engageable by a journal on the anvil plate.

10. The tool recited in claim 1, in which the anvil plate and the hammer plate are substantially rectangular and are hingedly connected along complemental longitudinal edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,997,715 8/ 1961 Chapman 227--140 XR 2,997,716 8/ 1961 Huelster et al. 227-140 XR 3,250,450 5/1966 Le Page et al. 227--144 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 227--140 

